O’Leary: ‘I’ve nothing to say sorry for’

RYANAIR boss Michael O’Leary has said he ‘won’t apologise to anybody’ after the budget airline snapped up almost an entire new housing estate for cabin crew who struggle to find ‘affordable accommodation’.

It has bought 25 of the 28 new houses at a new development in Swords near Dublin Airport, but faced criticism for the deal as it takes homes off the market for first-time buyers.

Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien said he was ‘frustrated’ by the deal, but O’Leary robustly defended the move yesterday.

‘By buying these houses, what we’re able to do now is to facilitate rental properties that are just one bus stop from Dublin Airport, so it’s easy and adjacent to the airport for our cabin crew,’ he told RTÉ Radio’s Today with Claire Byrne.

‘And by the way, I would apologise to nobody for it. No sorry, our first job here is to look after our passengers and our second job is to look after our staff.’

Asked what he would say to homebuyers who may have missed out on a property because of the Ryanair deal, potentially including his own staff, O’Leary bluntly replied: ‘Nothing. My job is to provide accommodation for my cabin crew.’

He added: ‘There will be 40 other houses and apartments available elsewhere in Dublin this summer because Ryanair staff won’t be renting those houses and properties. Particularly our cabin crew would be among the lower paid staff we have, a pilot can rent anywhere, they’re well paid, the new arrivals start on the lowest level of pay and we have to have affordable accommodation.

‘It’s not actually an issue of rent, they’ve no difficulty paying the rent, the issue is the availability of accommodation close to Dublin Airport.’

He added: ‘So our people, particularly the crews who work or have to report early in the morning or who get in late in the evening in the suburbs, have reasonable access to those accommodations.

‘We bought 40 houses and apartments here in Swords. It gives accommodation for about 140 bedrooms. I am nothing but proud of it.’

The going rent for a house share in Swords is about €800 per tenant but Ryanair will offer rooms at a discount to staff.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar recently defended the purchase, saying it was different from investment funds bulk-buying properties.

‘I don’t think it is the worst thing that a company would buy accommodation for their staff. It’s not the first time this has happened, it has been happening for centuries,’ Mr Varadkar said.

However, Social Democrats TD and housing spokesman Cian O’Callaghan described the bulk buy as ‘a kick in the teeth’ for firsttime buyers.

He said: ‘It is already hard enough for people looking to get a place of their own when rents are at the highest ever level.’